So I was writing the next chapter with Jen blowing off her arms and legs trying to learn how to cast it without chants. You know, with all the crying, screaming, gore, and delicious trauma. It was a bit too graphic for this site, according to a friend of mine. I didn’t really think it was that bad, but I’m kind of twisted like that. I suppose stuff like writing about the broken bone sticking out of the open stump is a bit much. Anyways, I have realized several things in the process of this chapter. Revelations, you could say.

This past month, I have read ten times as much fanfiction as I do original stories on royal road. I don’t mind low popularity or such, but I cannot continue to write without fuel! What keeps me going to a constant supply of stories that keep me inspired and happy. Unfortunately, that is a very hard prospect at the moment with royal road. I know there are a lot of good stories, but it is incredibly hard to search for them. Even the search function is starting to stale up, especially since searching by chapter amount is not even close to be as useful as searching by word count for obvious reasons. I have resorted to staring at the newly updated list or checking out the recent posts of people to find stories, but that is like a box of chocolate.

This is especially problematic since the only way for authors to gain popularity is through the updated list and word of mouth. That prompts tiny chapters and rapid posting. Or rather, posting another chapter when your story gets off the updated list. It got to me when I saw the same story keep appearing. I even considered doing it for awhile. For some, this is the most beneficial style for them, but for most, it is just something that is practically forced onto them.

So where does that leave me? It means I can’t really find stories without playing a guessing game. When I see a story with a large amount of chapters, I automatically assume that they are a smaller word count. When I see a story with a lower amount of chapters, I assume the same thing. I mostly come here for reincarnation stories and transported fics, but it is getting hard to find good ones. Or rather, it is difficult to know for sure if it is interesting or not until you actually check a chapter. That might sound like what people should do, basically read a little bit, but it takes quite a bit of effort, especially when you’re searching for a specific theme. It’s really getting to me since I need a constant supply of entertainment. When writing a story based around transported to a fantasy world, I wanted to read reincarnation and transported stories of a similar nature to keep me inspired. However, I find myself reading fanfictions a lot more since the fanfiction website is a lot more easier to navigate, filter, and assess from their short summaries.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

So what am I leading up to? I decided to continue writing for my fanfictions. I loved writing this story, but I admit I was going off the high provided by Mushoku Tensei which I absolutely loved as well as Andur’s Until Death and Transcendence. Pretty much the reasons I started this story in the first place. However, it’s been a couple of months since I started so it’s winding down, and I have gotten much more inspiration for fanfiction from reading fanfictions. I write what I read, pretty much.

So what am I saying? Indefinite hiatus.

Otherwise known by its other more cringe-worthy title: absolute abandonment.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it by saying that I might return in the future. In all likelihood, I won’t since I’m returning to fanfiction. I’ll probably be writing up my fanfiction and be more focused on that. Why can’t I do both? Time. But mostly because I like playing video games. There’s just not enough time in a day~. I’m proud to have written what now has a word count of around 45k, but this is the path I have decided.

TL;DR: Reading motivates me to write. I just don’t have the willpower to keep searching for stories through impractical means. Fanfiction that satisfies my itch are easier to find. Thus, I have more motivation to write for my fanfic than my original story. Therefore, I’m going back to fanfiction. If you need to find me for any reason, I’ll be at fanfiction.net under the same username. Actually, you could post here, and it’ll email notify me.

Anyways, thank you all for keeping up this far with my indulgence. My decision might seem fickle, but a factor into it is that I grew up in fanfiction and learned how to write there. High writing quality will always be in a low percentage no matter where you find your stories at, but having the right tools in your hands to find the gems makes it worth the effort. I spend more time trying to find stories here on Royal Road than actually reading, and that is a tragedy.